Goodbye Girl
by Lady Emily
Summary: Cody says goodbye when Bailey heads back to Kettlecorn. Cailey / Zaya.
1. Already Gone

A/N: Okay, so I saw "My Oh Maya" and liked it (although I feel a little like they pulled a "Saved by the Bell," bringing in some sassy New York chick to draw attention away from the fact that legitimate main characters have gone missing from the show...) Maya's not so bad, though, and it was great to see the writers remember that Cody has a brother, so I sat down to write some Maya/Zack. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I can't not write Cailey, you guys!

If you've seen "My Oh Maya," then you know that London spends a good thirty seconds explaining what happened to Bailey (hey, it's more than the Saved by the Bell girls ever got...) and it completely horrified me. I feel like no one was as upset as they should be. I mean, I realize I need to take London's explanation with a grain of salt, but... Bailey got called home from the middle of the ocean to do manual labor because the family tractor broke? A plane ticket to Kansas from who-knows-where doesn't seem like the cheapest alternative unless she is _never coming back._ Which she is... I think?

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

* * *

"I have the best news ever: _Bailey's going home!_"

London's excited shriek was ear-splitting, but that wasn't the reason Cody dropped the towels he'd been folding. "She... what? She's leaving?" he repeated dumbly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're missing the point: I have my own room again!" London spread her arms in a _ta-da_ gesture, clapping her hands and bouncing with enthusiasm. "Yay me!"

Cody was still having trouble comprehending the situation. "But... why? I... I mean, it's the middle of the school year, and-"

London shrugged. "A tractor fell on her Uncle Clem." she said bluntly.

Cody's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my-... Is he...?"

"Oh, he's fine." London waved off his concern. "But the tractor broke. Now her family needs Bailey to go home and pull the plow. Finally her ox-like shoulders will come in handy!" The heiress giggled, miming pulling a plow.

Cody rolled his eyes at London's put-down. His ex-girlfriend's shoulders were graceful and feminine, just like everything else about her, and while Bailey was certainly strong for her size, there was no way her parents were making her come home to _pull the plow_. Either Bailey hadn't told London the whole story about why she was going, or, more likely, she _had _and London just hadn't listened.

"London," he grabbed his friend by the back of her sparkly tank top as she "plowed" away. "When?"

Glaring at him as she fussily smoothed the wrinkles out of her shirt, London glanced at her diamond studded wristwatch. "One of."

"What?" Cody was startled. He'd expected the answer to be in terms of _days_, not _minutes._ "One of _what_?"

"One of the reasons you should get a watch!" London said, slapping her knee and bursting into laughter.

Cody gave her an incredulous look. "I _have_ a watch." He pointed out the obvious. "I know what time it _is_, I'm asking you_ when Bailey is leaving._"

"Oh." London said, straightening up. "Well, the boat just docked, so... she's probably already gone."

"_What?_" Cody grabbed the towel counter and leaned on it for support. How could she be _gone_? How could she have left without even a goodbye?

"ALREADY. GONE." London repeated in a deafening shout. "Don't you understand _anything_?"

Cody pushed himself off the counter, brushing past London without another word, ignoring the clean towels balled up on the deck, forgetting that he still had forty minutes left in his shift. He yanked open the door to the lower decks, nearly colliding with several passengers as he tore through the corridor leading to the girls' cabins. Reaching Bailey and London's cabin, he banged on the door. "Bailey? Bails!"

Silence inside. There was no answer.

Cody leaned his forehead against the door, finally taking a second to breathe and think about what exactly he was doing, why it had been so important that he see her before she leave. Vaguely, he wondered if she'd told Zack, Marcus, and Woody that she was leaving. Did Miss Tutweiller know? Did Moseby? Why hadn't she said something to him? Did she think that just because they were broken up, she could just disappear and he wouldn't notice?

He sighed, defeated. Even if he had caught her before she'd left, what would he have said to her? It's not like he could ask her not to go- they weren't even dating anymore, what right did he have to do that? Besides, her family needed her, and-

"Cothy?"

Cody's head snapped up at the sound of her voice. She was standing at the end of the hall, a suitcase in each hand. Her room key was between her teeth. Struggling with the heavy cases, she wrestled them down the corridor until she was standing beside him, then dropped them both with a heavy thud. "Whut are oou doin here?" Removing the key from her teeth, she used it to unlock her cabin door. "I mean, what are you doing here?"

Cody followed her into her room, realizing in shock and dismay that her half of the room was completely cleaned out. "Bails... you... you..." he stuttered, turning to her, his gaze pleading for an explanation that it wasn't what it looked like: that she wasn't leaving for good.

"Don't look at me like that." Bailey tucked her hair behind her ear, looking around her empty cabin forlornly. "I'm coming back." she told him self-consciously. "I'm just taking my stuff in case."

"In case of what?" Cody asked through numb lips.

Bailey paused for a long time. "In... case I don't." she finally whispered. Tears were beginning to pool in her eyes.

Cody's heart sank. "But... what? I don't understand."

"We don't have money." Bailey explained, a little bitterly. She blinked and two tears rolled down her face. "If we don't have a tractor, we can't plant corn. If we don't plant, we don't eat. If we have to buy a new tractor... it's hard to afford Seven Seas High."

"Bailey..." Cody didn't know what to say. He knew how much Bailey loved living on the ship- the challenge of the accelerated academics program, the once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel the world.

Bailey quickly dried her stray tears. "But, hey, maybe we'll get the tractor fixed, and I'll be back before I know it." She bent and removed something from the trash can beside her desk. "I, uh, almost forgot this."

Cody recognized it- it was a scrapbook Bailey had made of her time on the S.S. Tipton. It was full of pictures of the countries they had visited, the landmarks they had seen, and the fun times they had had with their friends. At one point there had been a section devoted to her relationship with Cody, full of photos of the two of them together, hand in hand, smiling at the camera from cities like Dublin, Honolulu, Sydney... Cody wondered if she'd kept it the way it was after they'd broken up.

"I was angry." she explained sadly, smoothing out the album's wrinkled pages with a loving hand. "But I can't leave this behind."

She stopped at a photo that was taken in London, England. Woody, Marcus, and Zack were standing to Bailey's left, Zack leaning casually on a croquet mallet, while on Bailey's right, London was posing artfully for the camera. Bailey was grinning widely and leaning back against Cody, clad in his tweed cape and deerstalker hat, who was standing behind her, arms wound around her waist. Mr. Moseby stood to the extreme right, eying the young people with an mixture of fondness and exasperation apparent on his face.

Wistfully, Bailey traced the edge on the photo with one finger. "I'm going to miss you guys." Giving a small snort at her own sentimentality, she shut the scrapbook, tucking it inside one of her already-crammed suitcases. Picking up her bags, she took a step towards the door. Cody blocked her.

"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?"

Bailey shook her head. "I just found out yesterday." she said. "I had to pack and everything..." She tried to go around Cody, but he continued to block her way. "Cody, I have to get off the ship. I have a plane to catch later."

"We would have helped you pack." Cody pointed out, upset. "Why didn't you tell us? We're supposed to be your friends! You're leaving, and you might not be coming back, and you didn't even give us a chance to say goodbye!"

Bailey dropped her bags again. "I know..." she whispered, her wavering voice indicating that she was on the verge of tears again. "I thought it would be too hard. I didn't even tell London until this morning..." she mustered a watery smile that almost broke Cody's heart. "She'd just assumed I was packing away all my stuff because it was so ugly..." She ended the sentence with something halfway between a laugh and a sob.

"She'll miss you." Cody told her in a soft voice. "We all will." Their eyes met and held, and Bailey favored him with a warm smile, the kind she used to give him, before Paris.

"Thanks." She sniffled, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Well, it looks like this is your chance to say goodbye." she reminded him quietly.

Cody looked at the floor. A chance to say goodbye- wasn't this what he had come for? And yet, at this moment, he couldn't think of any words that would even come close to telling her what she'd meant to him. Perhaps because he wasn't even close to being ready to say goodbye.

"I..." What did you say when this could be the last time you ever saw the first girl you ever loved? The girl he _still _loved, despite all the anger, awkwardness, and misunderstandings between them. "Bails..."

The girl who stood by him, even when he was embarrassing himself.

The girl who was worth sneaking out after curfew, risking detention, just to see.

The girl who made his heart beat fast just by reciting useless facts, and beat faster by looking into his eyes and saying nothing at all.

He couldn't do it. "Email me to let me know you got home safe, okay?" When she nodded, so did he. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Bails."

"Take notes for me?" she requested in the same light tone of voice. "So I can catch up in class when I get back?"

"Of course." Cody promised. The longer they had this conversation, the less it felt like she was actually coming back. "I guess I should let you go." he said after a long moment.

"I guess..." Bailey seemed as loathe to leave as he was to let her.

She hefted her bags once more and Cody stepped forward to stop her. "Wait, let me get those." When he leaned in to wrap his hands around the suitcase handles, he kissed her on the mouth. He hadn't planned on doing it, but the need to touch her, the need to convey how he felt about her, the need to say a _real _goodbye, had been too strong for him.

Her eyes widened in surprise at first, but she didn't pull away, releasing the suitcases into his capable hands and bringing her own hands up to press against his chest. He kept it short, but both teens could feel how the other was affected. "Cody..." she murmured as he straightened up.

"I know." he whispered into her hair. This wasn't the time to talk about their relationship, and perhaps there would never be another one. This was goodbye, plain and simple, the best they knew how.

He walked her to the gangplank just as the last call was made for disembarking passengers. They faced each other. "Say goodbye to Zack for me, would you?" Bailey asked at the last minute. "And Woody and Marcus."

"You got it." Cody promised. He held her suitcases out to her. "Good luck with the tractor."

"Thanks." She wrapped her hands around his and he savored that last contact before he pulled his fingers away, leaving her supporting the bags on her own. "See ya, Cody."

"Bye, Bailey." She headed down the gangplank, looking back every few seconds, and Cody waited by the rail until she was standing on the ground, looking up at her floating home from dry land. The plank was raised, and then there was nothing to bridge the gap between them at all.


	2. Just Wait

A/N: Well, folks, I didn't expect this story to be so popular! A million thanks to everyone who left me a review and encouraged me to continue. I know I said this was going to be a two shot, but I expanded it a little more than I intended, so there will be at least one or two more chapters after this one. Please keep up the reviews, I love knowing what my readers are really thinking!

* * *

_It was summer in Kansas and the heat was almost unbearable. The sun beat down on the gravel road, making the air roil and ripple before his eyes. Endless fields of corn lined both sides of the road, the green stalks standing sternly in the nonexistent breeze._

_Cody wiped the sweat out of his eyes with one hand and held up the map with the other. How could he be lost? Bailey had always said that her hometown was so small they didn't put it on any map... but there weren't really towns like that, were there? _

_He decided to backtrack, turning around and heading back the way he had come. To distract himself, he tried to figure out what he was going to say to Bailey when he finally found her. Would she be happy to see him? Would she want to leave her family in their time of crisis to come back with him? _

_He loved her, there was no way around it. She had to know how he felt, the way he'd kissed her before she'd left had to have given her a clue. But he'd messed up in Paris, messed up big time. He'd taken his relationship with her- one of the most important relationships in his life- and thrown it away. He'd broken her heart. He'd broken his own. _

_But hers was the one he'd never forgive himself for._

_He could never expect her to forgive him, could never expect her to look at him again the way she had before Paris. Only in his wildest dreams would he presume that they could salvage what they used to have._

_Be that as it may, he couldn't take one more day without her. He thought about her all the time, at work, at school. At night, she haunted his dreams, causing him to toss and turn for hours, the heavy burden of regret pressing down on his chest. Visiting new countries was difficult, knowing how much she would have enjoyed experiencing them, but being on the ship without her was sheer torture._

_After a few weeks of sleepless nights and miserable days, Cody had had enough. He didn't care if she was still angry at him, if she'd be upset that he'd shown up without warning. He just had to see her face, hear her voice. He'd persuaded London to let him use her jet to come see Bailey, and now here he was._

_Alone in a cornfield._

_He looked around in frustration before suddenly realizing that he was exactly where he needed to be. Just to his left, the gravel road spawned a pale dirt road, more of a path than anything else, and about a hundred feet down the dirt road a sign was posted. It read: 'Kettlecorn, Kansas. Population: 67.' At some point the seven had been crossed off and replaced with a six, but now it was a seven once more._

_Bailey._

_Despite his exhaustion, Cody began running. The cornfields on either side of him came to an abrupt stop and he found himself in what he imagined was the town center... although a better description of it would be 'a wide spot in the path.' On each side of the square stood a trio of buildings. The church, the town hall, and the sheriff were on one side, on the other stood the bar, the blacksmith, and the general store. It felt like the set of an old western, and Cody half-expected to see John Wayne push through the swinging doors of the saloon, spurs jingling and hands hovering by his holsters._

_The general store was the largest building by far, the long wooden one-story cabin surrounded by a wide wrap-around porch which was piled high with merchandise- furniture, barrels, farm equipment. A grizzled old man was sitting outside the door, rocking slowly back and forth in a creaky rocking chair. Cody approached him._

"_Excuse me, sir, could you tell me how to get to the Pickett farm?"_

_The old man gave him a comically solemn look. "Well shucks, son, the way you're aheadin' you'd be there already if you ain't stopped an' talked to me!"_

_Cody gave the man a nod of thanks. "So, straight ahead then? Thank you."_

_The man chuckled. "Little white house. Cain't miss it." He leaned back in the chair, continuing to rock as if he hadn't a care in the world._

_Cody kept walking, out of what he suspected was considered the 'town' and into more cornfields. It was another five minutes before he spotted the house the old man had mentioned. It was a very old farmhouse, listing slightly to one side, roof patched in too many places to count, long-ago whitewashed sides peeling in some places to reveal the splintery wood underneath. A few hundred yards away from the white farmhouse stood a red barn. Unlike the deteriorating house, the barn had a cared-for, cozy look to it. It was nothing fancy, but Cody somehow understood that when Bailey talked about home with that faraway look in her eye, this barn was what she meant._

_He knew he'd find her here._

_He approached the barn slowly, tentatively. He'd always expected to visit this place with Bailey by his side. Being here without her felt like intruding on a part of her life that he was never a part of. _

_The barn door was slightly ajar, and Cody swallowed hard, gathering the courage to push it open. Would she be here alone? Was he about to meet her entire family? _

_Would he find her with Moose?_

_The painful thought made his stomach churn. If Moose was here... well, it was Cody's own fault. Swallowing his pride, his jealousy, his regret, he reached out a hand and let the door swing open._

_She was there. Alone. On her knees, peering under the tractor, a wrench in one hand and a greasy bandanna in the other, her hair pulled back in a simple braid, a few wisps escaping to frame her face. Cody smiled; he had to stop to catch his breath at just the sight of her._

_But that was nothing compared to the way his heart stopped when she realized he was there, turned to look at him with wonderment in her honey-brown eyes, slowly rising and wiping her palms on her overalls and shaking her head as if she couldn't convince herself it were true. "Cody?" she whispered. The wrench clattered to the floor, unheeded._

_He couldn't even speak. Instead, he crossed to her with a few wide strides, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning her around. He set her back on her feet, burying his face in her hair. "Bails..."_

_She pulled back slightly, blushing prettily, and attempted to brush her hair out of her face, only succeeding in smearing grease on her cheek. "I'm a mess." she said apologetically. She was still in disbelief. Her gorgeous eyes searched his face. "What are you doing here?" _

_In answer, he firmly, gently cupped the back of her neck, drawing her face to his for a long, sweet kiss. When they pulled apart, he opened his mouth to explain himself... only to have Bailey seize him by the back of his head and pull him back in. Together they stumbled backwards, falling into the tall haystack piled in the corner, still embracing. "I missed you so much." Cody murmured over and over, smothering her with kisses. "I love you."_

_Bailey rolled over so that she was above him, resting against his chest. "You do?"_

_Cody reached up and caressed her face, lovingly smoothing his thumb over the smudge of grease on her cheek. "I do. I came to bring you back to school."_

_The smile faded from Bailey's lips. "I love you too, Cody." she told him gently. "But I can't go back with you." She nodded her head at the tractor she'd been working on. "I'm taking it apart." she said softly. "For scrap metal."_

_Hearing her say that she still loved him was one of the best moments of his life, but it swiftly occurred to him what else she was saying: the tractor was beyond repair. That was it then. She wasn't coming back to Seven Seas High. "Bailey, no." he insisted. "We'll figure something out, we'll find a way for you to afford it."_

_Bailey ran a loving finger over his lips. "I wish we could, Cody, but... the tractor..." she shook her head, but stilled as they both heard a low rumbling sound emit from the machine._

"_What-?" Cody frowned, pushing himself up on his hands. "It just started!" Sure enough, the headlights of the giant green tractor flicked on as if it was just opening its eyes after a nap, making the pair squint in their brightness._

_Bailey stared at the tractor in shock. "Impossible!" she gasped. "I already started dissembling it. The engine's already gone..."_

_The tractor revved, startling them, and they heard a horrible grinding sound as it put itself in gear. The rumbling got louder, and then the tractor began to inch forward... right towards them._

"_What is it doing?" Bailey was stunned._

_Cody scrambled to his feet, pulling her up by the arm. "I don't know, but I have no urge to be plowed. Come on!"_

_They took a step to the right and the mechanical monster lurched forward, causing them both to jump back. Cody took a quick look behind them, hesitant to take his eyes off the possessed tractor even for a second. They were cornered. The tractor revved menacingly. It quieted, then revved again, on and off, as though it were breathing down their necks, just waiting for its opportunity to strike._

_Bailey stood by his side, clutching his shoulder with one hand and his hand with the other. "Cody..." she whispered fearfully. _

_The tractor took that as its cue, revving louder than ever and shooting forward. Cody curled himself around Bailey, bracing them both for the impact..._

Cody sat bolt upright in bed, Bailey's screams still ringing in his ears. In the next bed over, Woody was snoring loudly, and Cody eased himself back onto his pillows with a bittersweet smile. _Well, that explains the revving tractor._

But he had to admit the dream had shaken him. Up until the killer tractor, it had been incredible, almost a fantasy. Visiting Bailey in Kettlecorn, kissing her, hearing her say she still loved him... What he wouldn't give for that to be true! At the same time, the ever-present issue of her potentially-permanent departure from Seven Seas High haunted him. She'd sent him the email she'd promised him weeks ago, letting him know she'd gotten back to Kettlecorn safely, but since then he hadn't heard from her, although he thought London might get the occasional email from her.

He reached for his laptop where it sat on his nightstand, and flipped it open. Angling it so that the light wouldn't shine on Woody's face, Cody opened a new email message and began typing.

_'Hey Bails-_

_How is everything in Kettlecorn? Do you know yet when you'll be coming back? Everyone misses you and'_

Cody stopped typing, then deleted what he had written and started over.

_'Hi Bailey-_

_How goes it with the tractor? I just had the craziest dream about you'_

Once again Cody deleted the email, starting over.

_'Bailey..._

_I love you. I have since I've known you and that's never changed. Please come home, Bails. I miss you. I'm going crazy without you.'_

Cody sighed, deleting this message as well. He couldn't very well send that, could he? Besides, Bailey hadn't left because she didn't want to be here. She'd left because her family needed the money, plain and simple.

And suddenly it _was_ plain and simple. Cody shut his laptop with a satisfied smile, formulating a plan in his head, already making a to-do list for tomorrow. He_ might_ be able to make his way to Bailey, but that wouldn't solve the problem. Instead, he was going to bring Bailey back to the _S.S. Tipton_.

That settled, he relaxed back against his pillows, drifting into an (almost) dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Cody found the rest of the gang at the Easy Squeezy. Zack was working behind the counter, of course, and Marcus, Woody, and Maya, the new girl, were seated on the stools around the bar. "Hey guys."

"Hey Codes." Zack answered for the rest of them. "What's up?"

Cody sat down excitedly, as if he'd been waiting for someone to ask. "I'm planning something, and I'm going to need your help." he looked around at his friends. "I'm going to bring Bailey back to the ship."

Woody frowned. "How are you going to do that? I thought her family couldn't afford to send her here anymore."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, and she won't accept 'charity'." he said, making air quotes around the word. "London already offered. Heck, so did I."

"I didn't know that." Cody raised his eyebrows, not sure why he was so surprised that Bailey's friends had offered to make her a loan.

Marcus shrugged. "Hey, she's one of the few people who are friends with me for being Marcus, you know? And I know, next to you and Zack, she's pretty much London's closest friend. It was the least we could do."

"That was really nice of you." Cody said. "Although I'm not totally surprised she wouldn't accept it. It's tough to take a big loan from a friend, even when they can afford it."

"Plus she's already proven she can be just as prideful as Cody." Zack spoke up, drawing a glare from his twin.

"I guess." Marcus shrugged. "So what's your big plan, Cody?"

"Well, what do you do when you need money?" Cody began.

"Get a job?" Maya suggested, plucking at her waitress uniform.

"Follow London around until she needs some ridiculous chore done?" Zack said.

"Enter a pie-eating contest." Woody said definitively.

Cody rolled his eyes. "All good suggestions... but I was talking about holding a fund-raiser. And I could use your help setting everything up."

Maya smiled at him. "That is so sweet. Sure, I'll help."

Seeing Maya's reaction, Zack spoke up quickly. "I'm in too." Woody and Marcus nodded in agreement.

Cody grinned at his friends. "Great. We're going to hold another mulch festival for the passengers."

Maya choked on the smoothie she was drinking. "No way." she sputtered, shooting Zack a dirty look.

Cody sensed that she was reluctant to have her head dunked in another barrel of corn after Zack's misguided attempt at wooing her via the "six-month plan" several weeks ago. "You don't have to go corn-bobbing." he told her, holding up a hand. "I swear."

Maya didn't look convinced.

Zack leaned across the bar, resting a hand over hers. "Come on, Maya. Cody needs help rescuing the girl he loves... are you really not going to help?"

The look Maya gave him suggested that it was taking the majority of her restraint to not dump her smoothie over his head. "Fine, I'll help. Under protest." she relented. She snatched her hand away from Zack and pointed at Cody. "And no corn-bobbing. You promised."

"No corn-bobbing. Just corn, cornbread, corn fritters, corn chips, corn puffs, corn-a-cola, creamed corn, popcorn, caramel corn..." Zack listed.

"Of course, kettle corn." Marcus added.

"And candy corn!" Woody finished triumphantly.

"Candy corn: not corn." Zack pointed out.

"Actually-" Cody started to correct him.

"It's high fructose_ corn_ syrup. Hel-_lo?_" Woody finished. "Mmm, I love that stuff."

Both impressed and disgusted by Woody's knowledge of and craving for the unhealthy food, Cody moved on. "I figure we can charge the passengers for food and games, we can do free labor, and we can reuse the decorations from last time."

Zack cringed at the idea of providing 'free labor'. "Fine... but might I suggest, if you really want to make money, thinking of a fund-raiser that's less _lame_?"

"Hey, everyone loved the last mulch festival we had." Cody pointed out. "Remember how many people showed up? Plus, like I said, we already have the decorations... And Moseby only agreed to let us use the Sky Deck if we let him call the square dancing again."

Zack scowled. "Remember when we used to do schemes _without _always getting Moseby's permission first?"

Cody shrugged. "Those days are dead and gone, brother dear."

Maya looked uncertain. "Do I really have to square dance?" she asked.

"Why _wouldn't _you square dance?" Woody said exuberantly. "It's so much fun!"

"Don't worry, _I'll_ be your partner..." Zack reassured her with a wink.

"Oh, well, _that _changes things." Maya said dryly. She finished her smoothie and stood up. "Well, my break's over. See you guys later."

The boys watched her walk away. "Four weeks later and she's still shutting you down..." Marcus said to Zack, grinning.

"She's coming around." Zack said confidently. "What she just said about being my dance partner? It wasn't a no."

"Uh..." Cody gave his brother a look that said _you're delusional_. "It was an _implied_ no." he pointed out.

Zack didn't seem bothered by his friends' doubts. "Oh ye of little faith." he clucked. "Just wait. You'll see."


	3. Mulch Festival

A/N: I'm still working on both this story and_ Mismatched_, so don't worry if you're still waiting for updates... it's just hard to do both at the same time! Let me know if you're enjoying this so I know which to work on! There's a little more humor and some Zaya in this chapter... I really like this one. Let me know if you feel the same!

* * *

Cody glanced around at his handiwork, setting a fresh batch of cornbread on the refreshment table. The Sky Deck was abuzz with the festivities of the second annual Kettlecorn-On-The-Sea Mulch Festival.

The turnout was even better than last year's had been. An old-fashioned bluegrass jug band played wildly on the upper deck, filling the air with upbeat strains of banjo and harmonica. Twinkling lights crisscrossed overhead, giving the evening sky a little extra illumination. The railings were lined with carnival-style games and booths with food- every corn dish known to man!- manned by volunteers.

He sent a quick wave to Woody, who had of course volunteered to organize and judge the corn-dog eating competition. A few yards away, near the hot tub (which had been covered over to become a square-dance calling platform) Marcus sat on a barrel across from his opponent, locked in a tense game of checkers and surrounded by rowdy spectators.

On the other side of the deck, Maya and Zack had each formed a team of passengers and were engaged in a rather competitive game of cornholing. Cody laughed to himself as Maya tossed one of the corn-filled beanbags through the hole in Zack's plywood board and jumped up and down, taunting his twin triumphantly. For a girl who had been so out of touch with her country side, she certainly seemed to be getting into the spirit!

Nearby he spotted London, deep in conversation with Moseby, who was dressed for the west in his rhinestone-studded chaps, plaid shirt, vest, stetson, and cowboy boots. For her part, the heiress' idea of helping with the festival seemed to consist mostly of flitting around in besparkled Daisy Dukes and pigtails, acting (as always) as though the party was all for her. To be fair, though, she had put up a good portion of the capital needed to start the fundraiser. The way it was going, Cody expected to be able to pay her back with plenty to spare.

Everyone looked so happy, and Cody felt a tug deep in his chest as he realized just how much Bailey would have loved to be here.

Mr. Moseby took the platform and announced that the square dancing was about to begin. "All right now, fellows, grab a girl. Now y'all get ready to stomp and twirl!"

Cody rolled his eyes at Moseby's signature calling "style," turning when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take over here." Miss Tutweiller told him, gesturing to the refreshments table. "You go have some fun with your friends. Looks like they need a fourth leader for their square."

Sure enough, Woody and Marcus had each snared a partner and were standing in the middle of the deck. There was an empty spot next to London, who was waving him over impatiently. Several feet away, Zack was dragging a protesting Maya into the fourth position on the square. Reluctantly, Cody thanked Miss Tutweiller and headed over to his friends. "Hey guys. Festival's going great, huh?"

"Heck yeah!" Woody agreed from his left, where he was hand-in-hand with Addison. "Judging competitive eating- one of my many food-related dreams finally come true!"

Maya had joined them in the square under extreme duress, her arms folded across her chest. "I can't believe I'm doing this. I don't even know any steps!"

"Would you relax, Maya?" Zack asked. "If Mrs. Pepperman can do it, I think you can manage."

Maya accepted the challenge in his words, taking a look behind her to where the obnoxious senior citizen was positioned in the next square over. "Oh, it's on." she muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong with you, Cody?" London asked as the music began to start.

"Nothing really." Cody said, bowing to London and then Maya, his corner. "I just can't stop thinking about how Bailey should be here."

Per Moseby's instructions, London looped her arm into Cody's and swung him around. "That's the whole point of this thing, isn't it?" she asked. "You did all this so she could come back."

Cody found himself surprised by the warmth in her tone. "So you're not mad at me that you'll have a roommate again?" he asked with a small smile.

"If you tell her I said this I will deny it to the end, but I miss her too." London told him. "She deserves to be here... and you deserve to be happy too. And hey, maybe you'll see her sooner than you think." She smiled at him kindly for a minute, then ruined the heartfelt moment by grabbing both his hands and yanking him to the right. "Now promenade me, you silly boy." she ordered.

After another minute the song drew to a close. "We're doing the next one Sadie Hawkins style: ladies' choice!" Moseby crowed into the microphone. "Come on, ladies, grab your man, they'll have to do the best they can!"

Tactfully, Cody excised himself from the circle, managing to get back to his post on the sidelines without getting asked to dance... not that that was much of a feat for him.

Zack turned to Maya with a winning smile. "So..."

"So... Zack..." Maya said back, bringing a hand up to rest on his shoulder. "That was fun. Excuse me." Gently moving him out of the way, she stepped around him. "Hey, Marcus, you want to dance?"

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Sure, Maya."

Zack folded his arms petulantly. "That's cold."

Marcus shrugged. "Sorry man. Ladies' choice."

* * *

"Well, this feels vaguely familiar." Cody couldn't hide his grin as he patted a dripping, sputtering Zack on the back.

Zack spat out some water. "I liked it better the other way around, when _you_ were the goofy dweeb tripping over himself to impress the girl." he scowled. "Stupid corn bobbing."

Over at the other barrel, Maya was celebrating Woody's victory at corn bobbing- sixteen ears to Zack's two. "Woo! I knew you could do it!" she whooped at Woody, but she was grinning at Zack.

Woody shrugged modestly. "I have really strong gums." he explained.

Cody cracked up. "She's playing hard to get with you, and it's totally working!" he teased his brother, unable to resist. How often had he been on the receiving end of Zack's taunts about girls?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Zack stopped him, wiping his face on one of his sleeves. "Nobody plays me!"

Cody shot him a deadpan look. "Like a banjo at a barn dance."

"Well all right, folks! Do we have any other challengers, or have we found our champion?" Moseby called out to the crowd.

A mischievous grin spread over Zack's face and he ducked into the middle of the cheering mob. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted. "We wanna see Maya! Ma-ya!"

Maya looked up, startled, as the crowd began to pick up his chant. "Ma-ya. Ma-ya. Ma-ya!"

Her jaw dropped open. "No, oh no. Not me." The chanting only got louder. "Not happening!"

"Go for it, Maya!" someone called.

"Yeah!"

Rolling her eyes, Maya began to walk away from the barrels and slipped on some water that had dripped off the contestants... ending up face first in Zack's barrel. Sputtering, she resurfaced, shaking water out of her eyes and her dripping twin braids. "Oh!" she choked in surprise.

"Yee-haw, another challenger!" Moseby hollered. "Your time's not up yet little lady! Time to bob for a cob!"

"Whoa, no fair, head start!" Woody whined, plunging his head back into his barrel.

"But, no... Wha-" Maya protested miserably as the crowd urged her on. She sighed. "Oh, nuts." Taking a deep breath, she shoved her head back in the barrel, coming back up with a corncob in her mouth.

After the time was up, both contestants were pulled out of the water, looking like a pair of drowned rats. As Woody was awarded the prize (beating Maya eleven cobs to seven,) Zack made his way to her side, an expression on his face that was equal parts amusement, admiration, and repentance. "I didn't think you'd actually do it!" he said, handing her a towel.

She wiped her face on it, glaring daggers at him. "Don't think I don't know you started that whole thing, you... you..."

Zack shoved his hands in his pockets, grinning at how adorable she looked sopping wet and boiling mad. "Yes...?"

"Cornhole!" Maya finished, tossing the damp towel in his face and storming away.

Zack raised his eyebrows and shared a glance with Cody, who was shaking his head in bemusement. "Such language!"

* * *

"And now it's time for a very special announcement!" Mr. Moseby was standing on the hot tub once more, touching the brim of his hat to the crowd. "The votes are in and it's time to crown this year's Corn King and Corn Queen!"

Cody made his way forward so he could see the platform, edging into a spot between Zack and London. Last time he had wanted so desperately to be voted the Corn King to Bailey's Queen, but this year he had no expectations, just a mild interest in the results. The title meant nothing... it had always been about Bailey.

Even though she wasn't here to claim her crown, she would always be_ his _Corn Queen.

"All right, girls, this year's Corn Queen, winner of the coveted corn-husk cape and cob scepter, is-" Moseby was cut off as a sharp blast of wind blew across the deck, blowing the envelope out of his hands. Every face in the crowd turned up to see a low-flying helicopter buzz over their heads, the thwack-thwack-thwack of the blades slicing air drowning out their conversations. The helicopter passed over the Sky Deck and came to rest out of sight a few decks away.

London leaned over to speak into Cody's ear. "I needed some things delivered." she explained.

"Why am I not surprised?" Cody responded with a roll of his eyes. Ten-to-one what she needed delivered was more shoes.

Someone in the crowd retrieved the winners' envelope and handed it back up to Moseby. "Sorry for the interruption there, folks." Moseby apologized, opening the envelope and continuing. "I am happy to announce that this year's Corn Queen is... Maya!"

On Zack's other side, Maya looked around in stunned confusion. "Seriously? Are you kidding me?" she snorted, suddenly seeming self-conscious as everyone's eyes came to rest on her.

Moseby gave her a stern look. "No I am not 'kidding you'."

"But I don't even..." Maya clearly had no urge to get up onstage and don the prestigious garments of corn royalty, but the cheering crowd wasn't taking no for an answer. "Oh, okay..."

"Atta girl." Moseby said, helping her onto the hot tub and handing her the corn cob scepter. "Why don't you say something?"

"All right..." Maya shrugged uncomfortably as the itchy corn husk cape was draped over her shoulders. "Well... Thank you to everyone who voted for me. You _really_ didn't have to do that." she began. Another look from Moseby had her continuing. "But, it is truly an honor to be your queen. I hope you're all having fun at the festival. I know I've certainly learned a lot tonight! Thank you!"

The crowd applauded, and Cody leaned in to his brother. "So, Maya's Corn Queen... how are you going to feel if some other guy wins Corn King?"

Zack waved him off. "Please, Codes. The only guy who's going to be Maya's Corn King is _me_."

"But you were almost as bad as I was at the competitions." Cody pointed out. "Even Mrs. Pepperman got more ears than you at corn bobbing. And she wears dentures."

"I don't see what that has to do with it." Zack said coolly, turning his attention to the stage where Mr. Moseby was getting ready to announce the name of the king.

"And this year's Corn King is... Zack Martin!" Moseby read. "Come on up here, Zack!"

Cody patted his brother on the back in congratulations. "Huh, Zack. To be honest, I thought Woody was a shoe-in for Corn King."

"He was." Zack winked. "Until I rigged the vote."

Cody's jaw dropped indignantly. "What! You!" he shook his head. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

"Yeah... it seemed like the obvious thing for me to do." Zack agreed. "Well, darling brother, my queen awaits."

Cody shrugged. "Okay... as long as you can live with yourself for winning dishonestly..." he guilted subtly.

Zack looked up at Maya on the platform, decked in her ridiculous outfit and staring at him with a mixture of annoyance, disbelief, and maybe the slightest hint of amusement. "Yep," he said, starting toward the stage. "I'm cool with it."

Mr. Moseby cleared his throat, still speaking into the microphone. "If you'll all clear a space, it's time for our Corn King and Queen to share a dance." he announced. The band began playing a slow, bluesy number.

Maya searched the sky. "What did I do to deserve this?" she moaned.

She really did look beautiful, despite the country clothes and corn husk cape and the way strands of her still-damp hair were beginning to escape from her braids. "What did _I_ do to deserve this?" Zack breathed, in a very different tone of voice, causing her eyes to snap to his. He took her hand, gently, leading her down from the platform and onto the deck.

Lips pursed, she followed him.

He faced her, resting his other hand ever-so-lightly on her slim waist and drawing her close. "Was tonight really that bad?" he asked quietly, so that the multitude of onlookers couldn't hear them.

Maya looked down at her feet and smiled. "I guess not." she confessed. "I mean, it was... weird. But in a nice way."

"I agree." Zack said. He waited for her to look him in the eye before raising his eyebrows. "A very nice way."

She actually blushed.

With a slight chuckle, Cody turned away from the dancing couple and headed over towards the railing. It wasn't that he wasn't happy that his brother was in love, and that he was making progress with his dream girl. It was just that sometimes, things seemed to go so easy for Zack. He schemed and dreamed, and things nearly always worked out in his favor. Unfortunately, despite coming into the world only ten minutes later, Cody hadn't been born under the same lucky star.

He rested his arms on the railing and sighed. Of course, the real issue wasn't Zack and Maya at all.

A hand rested on his shoulder shook him out of his musings. A soft voice. "Cody... hi."

Cody's heart started pounding in his chest and he spun around slowly, finding himself staring into the golden-brown eyes of Bailey Pickett.

Maybe his twin wasn't the only lucky one after all.


	4. Unmixing Messages

A/N: Before you ask- yes, the next chapter of "Mismatched" is already half-written. Haha, you guys are never happy: I update one story and you want to know when I'll be updating the _other_... but you know I love you, readers, and especially my reviewers. Welcome to the last chapter of "Goodbye Girl." It's been a somewhat angsty ride, but I hope you enjoyed it.

Side Note: Did anybody notice how, in this week's ep, when Bailey asked what was new the only thing the boys could come up with was Woody's bunion? WTH was that? Where did **Maya** go? I was right- it is _Saved By the Bell_ all over again!

* * *

Cody just watched as Bailey took a few steps toward him, joining him beside the railing. She shrugged, favoring him with a nervous smile. "I'm back."

Cody wouldn't have thought it possible, but somehow Bailey seemed to have gotten even more beautiful in her absence. "Bails..." he croaked. "What-? How did you...?"

Bailey laughed softly. "I flew here in a helicopter with five hundred pairs of shoes."

Cody smiled too, shaking his head fondly. "London."

"I guess she convinced Moseby that once this festival was over, my tuition would be covered. Moseby told me I should come back as soon as possible, so I didn't miss any more school days." Bailey explained. She cast a glance around at the crowded Sky Deck. "Cody, this is amazing. Just as good as the real one in Kettlecorn."

Cody knew that coming from Bailey, this was high praise indeed. "Thanks." He raised his eyebrows in Zack and Maya's direction. "Sorry you weren't Corn Queen this time."

"And have to dance with Zack? No thanks!" Bailey joked. They both smirked. Bailey reached out and touched Cody's hand briefly. "I don't need to be Corn Queen. Just being here is more than enough." She let her eyes settle on his face. "I can't believe you did all this for me." she said quietly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me. I... I don't even know how to say thank you."

The warmth of her gaze, the low, honest tone of her voice, set his heart pounding even harder than before. "No problem." he assured her, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. "I'm your friend." He only stumbled a little at the word 'friend.' "This is what friends are for." Staring at the ground, he didn't see the hurt flicker in her eyes at his words.

Pushing herself off the railing, Bailey shook her head, giving a little snort. "Where do you get off, Cody Martin?" she asked reproachfully.

Cody took an involuntary step backwards. Suddenly, unexpectedly, she had gone from praising him to glaring at him. Cody was confused. "Um...What?"

"You do something _this_ incredible for me," Bailey said, waving a hand at the ongoing festival. "And then tell me you only want to be friends. What was I supposed to think?" she demanded. Her eyes searched his face, the colorful lights of the carnival games sparkling off a sheen of tears.

"Whoa." As soon as he saw the tears, the impact of what she was saying hit him like a ton of bricks. Bailey still loved him. "Bails-" he breathed, taking a step back towards her.

She matched it with a step back. "Don't, Cody. Don't go being all nice to me. The mixed messages- that's exactly what I mean!" She scrubbed a hand over her face, her expression humiliated and defeated. Shaking her head again, she tried to compose herself. "I'm sorry. The Mulch Festival is amazing. Thank you for doing it."

"Bailey, wait." Cody caught her arm as she tried to turn away. "I planned this whole thing so you could come back, because I missed you so much. Because I care about you. How is that a mixed message?"

Bailey blinked at him and a tear fell down her cheek. She quickly swiped it away with the side of her hand. "I..." she seemed at a loss for words as she registered what Cody was saying to _her_.

"Come here." Cody opened his arms, and Bailey moved into them, embracing him tightly. The contact echoed through his body like an electric shock. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, a wave of contentment breaking over him. He needed her, he'd known it all along, but he hadn't realized until now just how much.

"I missed you, Cody." Bailey whispered into his shoulder, still clinging to him. "I was afraid I'd never see you again."

Cody felt her tears seeping into the shoulder of his plaid work shirt. "Don't cry, Bails. I wouldn't let that happen." He raised a hand from her back to cup the back of her head, stroking her soft hair.

Pulling her head from his shoulder, she looked at him in awe. "You wouldn't... even after the way I treated you..."

"I didn't treat you any better." Cody admitted. "I regret... what happened between us, but I'm sure you'd do the same for me if the situation was reversed."

"I'd like to say I would..." Bailey said softly. "_You _were always the one who made the grand gestures- you planned the Mulch Festivals, and the Hannah concert, and our anniversary date. And you gave me the amulet of Aphrodite, and the one-of-a-kind earrings, and the missing-you video... You've always treated me like a princess, and what did I ever do for you?"

"You mean besides put up with my insanity?" Cody joked gently. He jerked his head back towards the festival, where Zack was still celebrating with Maya and their friends. "And my brother?"

Bailey looked hurt. "I'm serious, Cody. I never wanted you to feel like you had to do things for me because I _put up_ with you."

He shrugged, looking away from her. "You_ are_ a princess, Bailey. And I'm this geeky, germaphobic, goody-two-shoes, crybaby food snob who-"

"Stop it!" Bailey interrupted, upset. "That's not who you are, Cody, please tell me you know that." When he remained silent, she continued. "I know you get crap from people, and I know I'm as guilty of that as anyone, but I never meant for you to think that... that you weren't _good enough_ for me. You weren't an embarrassment or an inconvenience to me. I was your girlfriend because I wanted to be. And because I was proud to be."

Cody pursed his lips and nodded in appreciation. "That means a lot."

Bailey reached for his hand. "And I'm not a princess. I'm just a girl." She looked deep into his eyes, willing her message to sink in with him. "A stupid girl. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before. I'm sorry I never planned _your_ mulch festival."

He smiled slightly. "Bails, everything I've done for you, I did because I wanted to. And I never needed big plans or gifts. I was happy just being with you." He paused for a second before quipping, "Besides, I don't really want to be treated like a princess."

Bailey smiled at his joke, but remained serious. Tenderly, she stroked her thumb over the base of his palm. "That's what I'm saying, Cody. You don't have to treat me like you don't deserve me. The feeling is mutual."

_The feeling **is **mutual. _A numbness spread through him at her words. It was almost as if she'd forgotten they were broken up. "Still?" he whispered, voice husky.

Bailey closed her eyes, gathering courage. "I love you, Cody. I never stopped."

And Cody leaned in, capturing her lips with his own, sliding his hands along her back and feeling her fingers rake into his hair. "How's that for a mixed message?" he murmured breathlessly into her ear when they finally separated.

Bailey shook her head, her shy smile almost as brilliant as the happiness shining in her eyes. "Clear as day."

* * *

A/N: Awww. Yes. Hopefully the end was a satisfying resolution to the beginning- was I right to expand this story or do you think it was stronger as a one-shot? Please let me know what you thought of the end, and of the story as a whole... your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


End file.
